About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

Reynolds senior Stephanie Cabral (44) is one of the latest Western North Carolina athletes to make a college commitment.

Here is the most up-to-date list of Western North Carolina athletes who have committed to play college sports. As of today, the list has grown to 152 names. Coaches, parents and athletes, if you know of anyone not listed, please contact me at apearson@citizen-times.com or 232-5863.

Former Reynolds baseball standout John Hinson and Clemson will host a winner-take-all game for a berth in an NCAA Super Regional tonight after Sunday’s 7-6 loss to Connecticut.

More from the Tigers:

Clemson, SC – Ryan Fuller’s walkoff single with two outs in the ninth inning scored L.J. Mazzilli to give #16 Connecticut a 7-6 victory over #12 Clemson in the Clemson Regional in front of 4,877 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Sunday night. The Huskies, who stayed alive and moved to 3-1 in the Clemson Regional, improved to 44-18-1 on the season. The Tigers, who fell to 2-1 in the Clemson Regional, dropped to 43-19 in 2011. It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

The Tigers held a 4-1 lead before Doug Elliot’s two-out, two-run homer in the sixth inning cut Clemson’s lead to one run. The Huskies rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to take a 6-4 lead, but Spencer Kieboom’s two-out, two-run single in the top of the ninth inning tied the score. However, Connecticut put its leadoff batter on base in the bottom of the ninth inning and Fuller’s two-out single through the left side plated Mazzilli from second base for the winning run.

Kevin Vance (1-0) earned the win despite allowing two runs on three hits in the ninth inning.

Scott Weismann (3-5) gave up one run on three hits in 1.0 innings pitched and suffered the loss.

The Huskies took the game’s first lead in the second inning. Nick Ahmed led off with a double to right-center on a 1-2 pitch and scored on Elliot’s single to right field.

The Tigers responded with a two-out rally in the third inning to tie the score. John Hinson reached on an infield single to second base with two outs and stole second. After Phil Pohl walked, Brad Miller grounded a single up the middle to score Hinson.

The Major League Baseball draft begins today. How will prospects from North Carolina schools fare? WRAL out of Raleigh recently did this story on the statewide outlook:

Raleigh, N.C. — Even fans of the national pastime can overlook the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. It is usually approached with questions (much like the Rule 5 Draft, but that’s for another day).

When is it? What is it? Who is in it? Why do I care when most of these guys I will never hear from again? Who do I know that might get drafted?

Let’s focus on the last question first and get to the other ones a little later.

Who from North Carolina is expected to get drafted?

There are always a host of college players from North Carolina that get drafted. In fact, from 2005-09, North Carolina schools produced at least two first-round picks each year. The state has become a recent hot-bed for young athletes – especially from the college ranks. The college talent will again be strong this year, although it is looking unlikely that anybody will land in the first round.